The world measures a good man by what he has accomplished, what he earns, how he is perceived, and what he has built.
Scripture measures him by what he does when no one is watching, how he treats people who cannot benefit him, whether his private life matches his public reputation, and what comes out of him when he is under pressure.
Psalm 37:23 says the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and he delights in his way.
The ordering comes from God. The delight is God’s response to the character of the man walking.
Proverbs 20:7 says the righteous man walks in his integrity, and blessed are his children after him.
Integrity is not a performance for an audience. It is a way of walking, which means it is constant, sustained, and visible to the people closest to him. His children are blessed not because he was impressive but because he was consistent.
Micah 6:8 compresses what God requires into three things: do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with your God. That is the profile. Everything else is commentary.
What God Sees When He Looks at a Good Man
1. The Steps of a Good Man Are Ordered by the Lord
“The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way.” Psalm 37:23, King James Version (KJV)
2. A Good Man Brings Good Things Out of the Good Stored Up in His Heart
“A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart.” Luke 6:45, New International Version (NIV)
3. The Lord Does Not See as Man Sees; Man Looks at Outward Appearance, but the Lord Looks at the Heart
“But the LORD said to Samuel, ‘Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.'” 1 Samuel 16:7, New International Version (NIV)
4. Who May Dwell on Your Holy Mountain? The One Whose Walk Is Blameless and Who Does What Is Righteous
“LORD, who may dwell in your sacred tent? Who may live on your holy mountain? The one whose walk is blameless, who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from their heart.” Psalm 15:1–2, New International Version (NIV)
5. He Has Shown You O Mortal What Is Good: Do Justice, Love Mercy, Walk Humbly With Your God
“He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” Micah 6:8, English Standard Version (ESV)
Integrity as the Foundation
6. The Righteous Man Walks in His Integrity, Blessed Are His Children After Him
“The righteous man walks in his integrity; his children are blessed after him.” Proverbs 20:7, New King James Version (NKJV)
7. Whoever Walks in Integrity Walks Securely
“Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but whoever takes crooked paths will be found out.” Proverbs 10:9, New International Version (NIV)
8. The Integrity of the Upright Guides Them
“The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity.” Proverbs 11:3, New International Version (NIV)
9. A Good Name Is More Desirable Than Great Riches
“A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.” Proverbs 22:1, New International Version (NIV)
10. Better Is a Poor Man Who Walks in His Integrity Than a Rich Man Who Is Crooked in His Ways
“Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity than a rich man who is crooked in his ways.” Proverbs 28:6, English Standard Version (ESV)
How a Good Man Treats Other People
11. Do Nothing From Selfish Ambition but in Humility Count Others More Significant Than Yourselves
“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.” Philippians 2:3, English Standard Version (ESV)
12. Be Kind to One Another, Tenderhearted, Forgiving One Another
“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” Ephesians 4:32, English Standard Version (ESV)
13. Do to Others as You Would Have Them Do to You
“Do to others as you would have them do to you.” Luke 6:31, New International Version (NIV)
14. A Good Man Is Gracious and Lends; He Conducts His Affairs With Justice
“It is well with the man who is gracious and lends; he will maintain his cause in judgment.” Psalm 112:5, New American Standard Bible (NASB)
15. Whoever Loves Others Has Fulfilled the Law
“For the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.” Romans 13:8, Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
A Good Man and His Household
16. Husbands Love Your Wives as Christ Loved the Church
“Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.” Ephesians 5:25, English Standard Version (ESV)
17. Anyone Who Does Not Provide for His Relatives Has Denied the Faith
“But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” 1 Timothy 5:8, English Standard Version (ESV)
18. Fathers Do Not Provoke Your Children to Anger but Bring Them Up in the Discipline of the Lord
“Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.” Ephesians 6:4, English Standard Version (ESV)
19. Train Up a Child in the Way He Should Go
“Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6, English Standard Version (ESV)
A Good Man’s Relationship With God
20. Blessed Is the Man Who Walks Not in the Counsel of the Wicked
“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the LORD.” Psalm 1:1–2, English Standard Version (ESV)
21. The Good Man Out of the Good Treasure of His Heart Produces Good
“The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.” Luke 6:45, English Standard Version (ESV)
22. He Who Is Faithful in Little Is Faithful Also in Much
“One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much.” Luke 16:10, English Standard Version (ESV)
23. The Fruit of the Spirit Is Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” Galatians 5:22–23, New International Version (NIV)
What a Good Man Leaves Behind
24. A Good Man Leaves an Inheritance to His Children’s Children
“A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, but the sinner’s wealth is laid up for the righteous.” Proverbs 13:22, English Standard Version (ESV)
25. His Righteousness Endures Forever, His Horn Is Exalted in Honor
“His righteousness endures forever; his horn is exalted in honor.” Psalm 112:9, New King James Version (NKJV)
26. The Memory of the Righteous Is a Blessing but the Name of the Wicked Will Rot
“The memory of the righteous is a blessing, but the name of the wicked will rot.” Proverbs 10:7, English Standard Version (ESV)
27. Well Done, Good and Faithful Servant
“His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.'” Matthew 25:21, English Standard Version (ESV)
The Good Man Is Not the Impressive One. He Is the Consistent One.
The Bible’s examples of good men are not uniformly impressive in the way the world measures it.
Joseph was a slave and a prisoner before he was a ruler. Daniel served in a foreign government under kings who did not share his faith. Boaz noticed Ruth in a field and treated a foreign widow with a dignity that was not required of him.
None of them sought visibility. Each of them operated with integrity in the specific situation where God had placed them, whether the situation was prestigious or invisible.
Proverbs 20:7 ties the good man’s legacy directly to his integrity rather than to his achievements.
His children are blessed after him not because he accumulated wealth but because his way of walking was honest and consistent enough to produce something that outlasted him.
The inheritance of Proverbs 13:22 includes material provision, but the deeper legacy is the character that was modeled across years of ordinary, unfilmed, unrewarded faithfulness.
Matthew 25:21 records the words every man should want to hear: well done, good and faithful servant. The two words paired together are good and faithful. The goodness was demonstrated through faithfulness over time, in small things, before the larger assignment was given.
The good man is built in the ordinary days.
Questions People Ask About a Good Man in the Bible
What does the Bible say about a good man?
Psalm 37:23 says a good man’s steps are ordered by the Lord. Luke 6:45 says a good man produces good from the good stored in his heart. Proverbs 20:7 says the righteous man walks in integrity and his children are blessed. Micah 6:8 defines what God requires: justice, mercy, and humble walking with God. The Bible defines a good man by internal character rather than external achievement.
What are the qualities of a godly man according to the Bible?
Galatians 5:22–23 lists the fruit of the Spirit as the character evidence. Micah 6:8 says justice, kindness, and humility. Proverbs 10:9 says integrity. Ephesians 5:25 says sacrificial love for his wife. First Timothy 5:8 says provision for his family. Proverbs 22:1 says a good name is valued above wealth. The biblical godly man is defined by character that is consistent across public and private settings.
What does the Bible say about a man of integrity?
Proverbs 20:7 says the man of integrity blesses his children by his way of life. Proverbs 10:9 says integrity produces security. Proverbs 11:3 says integrity guides the upright. Proverbs 28:6 says a poor man with integrity is better than a rich man with crooked ways. Integrity in Scripture means alignment between what a person says, believes, and does, maintained consistently regardless of audience.
What does it mean that a good man’s steps are ordered by the Lord?
Psalm 37:23 means God governs the direction of the man whose character pleases him. The ordering implies divine involvement in the circumstances, opportunities, and outcomes of his life. The man’s role is to walk faithfully. God’s role is to determine where the walking leads. The verse pairs the ordering with God’s delight, meaning the good man’s way of living brings pleasure to God.
How can a man become good according to the Bible?
Luke 6:45 says goodness comes from the heart, meaning internal transformation produces external behavior. Galatians 5:16 says walking by the Spirit produces the fruit of good character. Psalm 1:1–2 says delighting in God’s law is the foundation. Second Peter 1:5–7 describes a sequence of additions to faith that build toward godliness. Biblical goodness is cultivated through relationship with God, engagement with Scripture, and the sustained practice of integrity over time.
God, Build in Me the Kind of Goodness That Proverbs Describes
Father, I want to bring before you the difference between the version of a good man I have been performing and the version Proverbs 20:7 describes, where integrity is the way of walking rather than the mask put on for specific audiences.
Let Micah 6:8 be the daily framework: doing justice, loving kindness, and walking humbly with you, because those three things are what you require and everything else is secondary.
Build in me the consistency of Luke 16:10, faithfulness in the small things, so that the goodness is structural rather than occasional.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
